Coupe Simone

1939 Duesenberg Coupe Simone

The story begins, as many romances do, in France. Yet, in many ways it is an American story. The story of two immigrants, a story filled with the excitement, the creative energy of the early automotive age, and a story of our time, our chance happenings and dogged research.

The year was 1936, and the French cosmetics king Gui De LaRouche had just attened the world premier of the film The Clearing Cloud. Watching the film, he was particularly impressed by an automobile driven by the leading man. After making several inquiries, he learned that the automobile's gorgeous body was the creation of Emmet - Armand Coachworks of Green Brier, Pennsylvania in the Unites States.

Gui De LaRouche had always believed that a man should succumb to his passions. So he commissioned Emmet - Armand to create an exotic bodied coupe on a Duesenberg Model J chassis. The new automobile would be a gift for his lover, a beauty named Simone.

Emmet- Armand took three years in making the automobile - with the supervision of LaRouche's assistant, Antoine St. Claire. When the masterpiece was complete, plans were made to unveil the extraordinary vehicle at the 1939 World's Fair. But before they did, they intended to deliver it first to Paris for LaRouche's approval.

1939 was a year fraught with danger, and war clouds were gathering ominously over Europe. When Emmet arrived in Paris with the car, he found a bitter love triangle between LaRouche, Simone and St. Claire becoming quite sinister. LaRouche had forged papers naming St. Claire as a traitor; he had threatened Simone with the same; and he had evicted Emmett from his estate, taking possesion of the car with no intention of paying for it. Later, Emmett and St. Claire would join forces to steal back the car and rescue Simone. The plan was to hide the car until it could be safely transported back to the United States.

Back in America, Armand recieved a terse telegram from Emmett stating that he was seeking safe storage for the Coupe Simone and that his return would be delayed. But there the story seems to end, for both Emmett and the car were lost after they left Paris. Armand rushed to Europe to find his friend and partner, but he too disappeared. The car was last seen at the Kolb Showroom of New York in 1940.